| 100% | VCR | 3 | Player finally retired in 2016 |
| 58% | ANA | 3 | Tennis player Ivanovic who retired in 2016 |
| 53% | VIN | 3 | Sportscaster Scully who retired in 2016 |
| 52% | AROD | 4 | Yankee who retired in 2016, lovingly: Hyph. |
| 52% | AROD | 4 | Yankees shortstop who retired in 2016, familiarly |
| 51% | LYNCH | 5 | Marshawn ___, NFL player who retired in 2016 but returned to play for the Oakland Raiders in 2017 |
| 50% | AROD | 4 | Nickname of a Yankees star who retired in 2016: Hyph. |
| 49% | IPOD | 4 | Player retired in 2022 |
| 47% | PEYTONMANNING | 13 | NFL great who retired in 2016 after winning Super Bowl 50: 2 wds. |
| 46% | GEHRIG | 6 | Player with the first retired number in baseball |
| 45% | VCR | 3 | Tape player last manufactured in 2016 |
| 45% | VCRS | 4 | Players last produced in July 2016 |
| 41% | SONY | 4 | Company that finally stopped producing new Betamax tapes in March 2016 |
| 39% | MAGIC | 5 | ___ Johnson, American retired professional basketball player who runs a conglomerate company in his name |
| 39% | ASHLEIGHBARTY | 13 | #1 tennis player who retired in 2022 at the age of 25: 2 wds. |
| 38% | POGBA | 5 | Paul —, France footballer who became the world's most expensive player in August 2016 |
| 38% | CARLI | 5 | Soccer great Lloyd who was FIFA Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016 |
| 38% | RUBIO | 5 | Rival of Trump in 2016 |
| 38% | CRUZ | 4 | Challenger to Trump in 2016 |
| 38% | SCALIA | 6 | Justice who died in 2016 |
| 38% | KAINE | 5 | He debated Pence in 2016 |
| 38% | OSX | 3 | Mac platform renamed in 2016 |
| 38% | FIDEL | 5 | Castro who died in 2016 |
| 38% | BALE | 4 | Gareth ___, Welsh soccer player who retired in 2023 |
| 37% | ANDYMURRAY | 10 | Scottish tennis player defeated by 32-Across in the 2016 Australian Open finals: 2 wds. |
| 37% | RUNNINGMATE | 11 | Tim Kaine, in 2016 |
| 37% | ANA | 3 | Ivanovic who retired from tennis in 2016 |
| 37% | JACKIEROBINSON | 14 | Hall-of-Fame player whose number has been retired by every team in Major League Baseball |
| 36% | DEBATERS | 8 | Clinton and Trump, in 2016 |
| 36% | PIXEL | 5 | Google ___ (smartphone introduced in 2016) |